Charlize Theron Tears Up Talking About Son Jackson: "He's Heaven on Toast"

Long before Charlize Theron became a mom, she was already heavily involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in her native South Africa.

But the Oscar winner says her work became even more meaningful after adopting her son Jackson in March 2012.

"It's different," Theron said at Variety's Power of Women luncheon, where she was honored for her philanthropic work. "It's definitely different, because you start thinking about the legacy that you want to leave behind for your child…I want him to be proud of me in a way that's authentic."

"I hope you're OK with me giving this award to my mom," she continued. "That bitch was building roads in Africa when no woman was doing that. I thank you, Mom, for teaching me by your actions how to be a strong woman, and for turning me into a p---y every time I talk about you."

Theron gushed about how quickly Jackson is growing up. "He's not little any more—he's huge!" she said. "He's just growing at a rate that I feel like every morning, I'm going to walk into his room and he's going to be like Hercules, like busting out of his pajamas…He's amazing. He truly is heaven on toast."